Printing-press.



c. A. STURTEVANT.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1913.

Patented July 13, 1915.

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C. A. STURTEVANT.

PRINTING PRESS. 7

APPLICATION mu) APR.22, 1913.

1,146,290. Patented July 13, 1915.

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WITNESSES nvmvroa r4 TTORNEY I C. A. STURTEVANT.

PRINTING PRESS. D APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1913.

1,146,290. Patented Julyv 13, 1915. f 57 7 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

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PRINTING'PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR-22,1913.

"1,146,290. i PatentedJu1y13,1915.

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W r 12M UNITED STATES PAEFENT oFFroE.

CHARLES A. STURTEVANI', 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PRINTING-BRESS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, CHARLES A. STURTE- for intaglio printing and more particularly to certain combinations of elements and to details of construction which will be more fully hereinafter pointed out in the specification and covered in the claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings showing illustrative embodiments'of my invention, and in which the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a vertical section substantially on the line 11 of Fig. 2 through my printing press, the internal power transmission gearing being omitted, for clearness in illustration, as the same forms no part of my invention for any suitable transmission to supply power to the diflerent elements of my complete printing press will come under the terms of my claims; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, in side elevation, of my'improved polishing mechanism; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the polishing mechanism, a portion being broken away; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the friction brake shown in Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is the detail side elevation of the regulator for the pawl and ratchet feed; Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary section of the bed of the printing press showing one of my depressible guides; Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view of one of the printing plates after it is passed under the rotary wiping mechanism and prior to passing under the independently operated polishing mechanism lo- I I changes, however, in certain details ofconcated on a different angular portion of the track from that on which the wiping mechanism is located; Fig. 9 is a plan view showing diagrammatically the face of the same printing plate after assing beneath the independently operated polishing mechanism; Fig. 10 is a detail view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of the inking roll Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed April 22, 1913. Seria1 N0 762,758.

adjustment Fig. 11 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line v11-11 of Fig. 16; Fig-12 is a verticalsection through a portion of the printing press showing the accelerator mechanism for accelerating the speed ofthe form bed when passing under the mpression or D roller; and Fig. 13 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, showng'the preferred form of slip device forming a part of the accelerating mechanism.

In the illustrative embodiments of my. invention shown in the drawings, 1 is a printing press having the frame 2 provided with a series of angular tracks ,3, 4, 5 and 6 preferably arranged at right angles to each other, the tracks being provided with internal flanges 7, 7 on which travel the form beds 8, 8 or what is known in shop parlance as planks. Upon these form beds or planks are mounted the plates 9 the same being secured to the form beds or planks in any suitable manner as by clamps 10, 10. In operatingthe printing press fourof these form beds 8, with their respective printing plates 9, are preferably used simultaneously each of them moving around the angular tracks 3, 4, 5 and 6 continuously and changing their direction of travelv at the end of each section of track.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for moving the form beds around the tracks. Preferably I use an endless sprocket chain 11 meshing with and actuated by the four sprocket wheels 12, 12, which are operated in any suitable manner as by the gears 13, 13 meshing with the gears 14,all of which is no portion of my present invention for any suitable means of operating the sprocket struction of the inking mechanism which I will hereinafter point out and later set forth. in the claims. With the old rotary operating wiper a reciprocating polishing mechanism has been mounted side by side, the polishing mechanism being driven byv the rotary wiping mechanism and both the rotary Wiping mechanism and the polishing mechanism operating upon the plate while it has the same direction of travel. Such a construction is shown in my Patent No. 1,026,935 patented May 21, 1912.

I have discovered after many experiments that the plate makes a cleaner and far better impression by arranging the polishing mechanism so that it is independently operated and particularly arranging it at a different portion of the angular track from the wiping mechanism so that its reciprocation will cut at*-1'igl1t angles the ink helices formed on the plate by the rotary wiping mechanism and level and thoroughly remove all the surplus ink and spread this surplus ink at the points 18, 18, over the lighter inked portions of the plate, so that it will be thoroughly polished and the work properly filled. After the plate 9 has been inked by the inking mechanism 15 and passes be neath the rotary wiping mechanism 16 of any approved construction, the plate is formed with a series of ink helices 17, 17 (shown diagrammatically in Fig. 8) having overlapping portions 18, 18. At this stage the plate is streaked and the overlapping portions 18, 18 of the helices have a large excess of ink. Prior to my invention the plate was polished in an attempt to reduce this surplus ink by employing a recipro cating polishing mechanism operating immediately after the rotary wiping mechanism, as previously noted, and while the plate had the same direction of travel, the polishing mechanism reciprocating in the general direction of the helices.

By my present invention I employ a polishing mechanism 19, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 which is preferably located 90 from the rotary wiping mechanism and operates upon the plate 9 after its direction of travel has been changed, as for example, from the track 4 to the track 5. The polishing mechanism 19 will then reciprocate across the face of the plate 9 transversely of the helices 17, 17, formed upon the plate 8 by the rotary wiping mechanism 16, and thoroughly remove the. surplus ink and form the plate with the polished surface 20 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9. This change in the direction of the plate after it has passed the rotary wiping mechanism, before it is operated upon by the polishing mechanism, and having the reciprocating polishing mechanism reciprocate across the plate transversely of the helices 17 17 is one feature of my invention, as I believe that I am the first to make such a printing press and to obtain the marked improvement in the treatment of the plate resulting therefrom.

The form bed 8 with the plate 9 is propelled along the track 5 until that track registers with the next succeeding track 6 when the plate passes beneath the impression or D roller 21 in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described, and thence back to track 3 and the inking mechanism 15 and so on during the operation of the printing press.

To steady and guide the form bed 8 and to hold it in its proper alinement so that it will exactly register with the internal angular portion22 of the tracks 3, 4, 5 and 6, I employ depressible guides 23 mounted in the path of the form beds 8 and in line with the continuation of the angular track 22. These depressible guides may be variously made. For purposes of illustration I secure an arm 24 to the printing frame 2 in any suitable manner, and pivot an arm 25 on the pivot 26 secured to the member'24, letting the free end 27 come up into the path of the form bed 8. I preferably provide the end 27 with an anti-friction roller 28. This arm 25 is normally pressed into the path of the form bed in any suitable manner such as by the spring 29 coiled around the bolt or nut 30, the head 31 of which engaging with the member 32 serves to limit the upward throw of the guide.

As the form beds 8 begin to reach the end of their travel, on any one of the angular tracks 3, 4, 5 and 6, they pass over and depress the guides 23, two preferably being used to insure the proper guiding of the form bed, the guides remaining depressed until the form bed 8 contacts with the next portion of the angular track as shown. for example in Fig. 2. At this moment the form bed 8 will pass over the depressible guides 23 which will then instantly snap up and serve as a continuation of the next an; gular track and steady and guide the form'- bed 8 in its next angular movement. This prevents wabbling of the form bed and insures it accurately engaging with the next cooperating inner angular track 22. With a printing press having four angular tracks, such as shown in Fig. 2, I preferably employ four sets of these depressible guides 23.

Another portion of my invention is the polishing mechanism 19, Figs. 2, 1, 3, 4 and 6. This polishing mechanism consists preferably of a hollow casting 33 having a depending portion or platen 34 over which is placed any suitable cushioning means as felt 35 which is held to the depending portion or platen 34 in any suitable way as by the clamps 36, 36. The polishing material 37 may pass directly in contact with the felt or other suitable materiaL 35, though preferably I interpose a strip. of flexible material 38 secured at one end 39 to a frame 46 which is secured to the polishing casting 33. The other end of this material 38 is secured to the adjusting mechanism preferably comprising a roller 41 to which one end of the material is secured as by passing through the slot 42 within the roller,

Preferably, though not necessarily, this material 38 is raw hide or some similar material.

Secured to the polishing casting 33 are standards 46, 46 on the upper end of which is supported an axle 47 upon which is mounted a reel of polishing material 37, this material being preferably of fabric and preferably, for'the sake of cheapness, burlap, though, of course, any suitable polishing material may be used. The polishing material is fed from the reel in the direction shown by the arrow, Fig. 3, and passes around the rollers ,48, 49 and then under the platen faced with felt or any other suitable material, and also preferablyunder the raw hide 38 or similarmaterial, thence up around the rollers 50, 51 and onto the rewinding axle 52.

The polishing casting 34 is provided with longitudinally extending tongues 53, 53 (Fig. 1') which are received between the rollers 54, 54. One of the tongues 53 is provided with connecting means to engage with the pivoted lever 55, Fig. 1, which is pivoted at 56 and is provided with a slot 57 within whichis adjusted a bolt 58 carried by the arm operated by the eccentric 60 on the power shaft 61. It is-obvious in other words regulating the movement of that the movement of the eccentric 60 will cause the lever 55 to rock upon the pivot 56 (thereby causing the entire polishing mechanism 19 to reciprocate transversely to the direction of travel of the form beds 8. The throw or the degree of reciprocation can be regulated byadjusting the bolt 58 in different portions of the slot 57.

The degree of travel of the burlap 37, or other polishing material, across the face of the polishing platen is dependent upon the feed of the pawl 62 and ratchet 63, Figs. 7

3 and 6. Therod 64 is reciprocated vertically in any suitable manner well known in this art which will cause the pawl 62 to operate the ratchet 63. i

A portion of my invention consists of adjusting mechanism for regulating the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet, or

the polishing material 37 across the. face of. the platen. By my invention I mount upon the axle 65, upon which the bell crank lever 66 is mounted, a slotted plate 67, Fig. 6, having a slot 68 and preferably a. handle 69. This plate is provided with a wedge or cam surface 70 which cooperates with the pin 71 carried by the pawl 62. As the &

rod 64 is reciprocated, in any well known manner, it will actuate the arm 66 of ,the bell crank lever through the link 72 and the pawl 62 will engage with the teeth of the ratchet 63 and give the ratchet Wheel its maximum movement. lVhen it is desired to decrease the movement of the ratchet wheel, and consequently the speed of travel of the polishing material 37, the plate 67 is rotated slightly upon the aXle 65 until the cam 70 is brought into position to engage with the pin 71 of the pawl. The plate 67 can be adjusted in any desired position by the thumb nut 73 so as to limit with the plate, without in any way varying the reciprocation of the operating rod 64. This adjusting mechanism permits me toinstantly vary thefspeed of travel of the polishing material 37 to suit different inks, different plates, and to vary the speed de pendent upon the particular polishing material 37 that may be used. I Theaxle 65 has not only the ratchet wheel 63 secured toit but "also a sprocket 74, Fig. 4, over, which "passes an endless sprocket chain 75 which also passes around the idlers- 76, 77 and another sprocket 78. I preferably form the drum 51 operatedby thesprocket 74 of a little, greater diameter than the drum 48 operated by the sprocket wheel In this manner the drum 51 has a slightly greater circumferential movement than the circumferential movement of the drum48 which will serve'to always put tension upon that portion of the polishing material 37 extending beneath the platen and will consequently always make it taut. I preferably locate an easily removable and adjustable friction brake upon the axle 47, Fig. 5. V This brake maybe formed in various ways but preferably consists of a flanged hub79 keyed to the shaft by the key 80 and upon the hub of the member 79 I mount a similar hub flange 81 keying it to the hub 79by the key 82. Between the two disks or members .7 9 and-8 1 I mount arm 84 of the plate 83 until it disengages the head 89 of the pin 85 when it can be readily slipped off of the axle 47.

Another portion of my invention comprises means for temporarily accelerating the travel of the form bed while passing beneath the impression or D roller 21, and to positively relieve the chain, or other flexible 7 form bed driving means from the tremen-\ dous strain of feeding the form bed beneath the impression roller.

One way of accomplishing this result is to provide the undersurface of the formbeds 8 with a hole 90, preferably circular, and having the stud 91 of the sprocket chain 11 engage in this circular hole. By this means the form beds are propelled by the chain 11 around the difierent angular tracks 3, 4, 5 and 6 with the exception of that portion of their travel directly beneath the impression or D roller 21. Just as they reach the impression or roller the under surfaces of the form beds 8 are engaged with one or more feed rollers 92, 92 carried by the axle 93 and preferably located on either side of the sprocket chain so as to steady the form beds. These feed rollers, 92, 92 are rotated at a speed. slightly in excess of the speed of the sprocket chain 11. I have shown one way of driving them, but, of course, my invention is not to belimited to'this particular form of drive. The drive shaft-94, Fig. 12,-. carries a sprocket wheel 95 which'engages with a sprocket chain 96 which in turn passes around a sprocket wheel 97 clamped between two friction disks 98, 99, Fig. 13, which are splined to the axle 93 by the spline 100. On the same axle 93 I preferably mount a thirddisk 101 and interpose between it and the friction disk 99 yielding means preferably in the form of coil springs 102. This disk is also splined to the shaft 93by the same spline 100. The degree of friction thrown pon the sprocket wheel 97 can be regulated byhdjusting the screw 103.

In practice I regulate. the friction of the disks 99 and 98 upon the sprocket chain 97 so as to give a circumferential speed to the feed rollers 92, 92 slightly in excess of the travel of the form bed 8. In practice I have found good results by running the feed rollers at a speed of 50 inches in a given time while the form beds in the same time will travel ordinarily 48 inches. I further adjust the disks 98 and 99 so that when the D roller or impression roller 21 is operated by the lugs 104 on the form beds 8, cooperating with the arm 105 carried by the D roller, the heavy friction upon the form bed and upon the rollers 92, 92 will cause a slip between the disks 98' and 99 and the sprocket wheel 97 which may be varied as found convenient or expedient. Preferably I adjust the disks 98 and 99 so as to permit a slip say of about one inch for each impression.

therefore, with such an adjustment, and during the time that the impression is being taken will permit the feed rollers 92, 92 to drive the form bed 8 say 49 inches in a given time while the chain in the same time is proceeding 48 inches, the difference being taken up by the loose engagement of the stud 91 in the opening 90 in the form beds 8. This insures difierent portions of the feed rollers 92, 92 engaging with different portions of the form beds 8 and consequently insures the feed rollers 92 and the form beds wearing true.

Another portion of my invention comprises the inking mechanism 15 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 10 and 11. My inking mechanism includes the usual fountain bracket 106 having afountain 107 and a fountain roll 108, and preferably, though not necessarily, a spreading roll 109, an axle 110 and an adjusting screw 111. These, in themselves, are all old. I use in combination with the fountain 'roll 108 an inking roll 112 having an axle 113 which is in a different vertical plane from the axle 114 of the fountain roll. I further provide means to adjust the inking roll to the fountain roll and to adjust the inking roll to the plate without disturbing its adjustment to the fountain roll.

One way of carrying my invention into effect is to pivot an inking roll frame 115 upon the axle 114 of the fountain roll so that this inking roll frame will move in the arc of a circle, the center of which is the center of the fountain roll axle. It is, of

course, understood that two inking roll" frames 115 are used, one on either side of the fountain roll; only one of these will be described, it being understood that the other is a mere duplicate.

The lower end of the inking roll frame 115 is provided with a slot 116 in which is mounted an adjustable bearing 117 pressed in one direction by spring 118, its movement being regulated by means of a screw 119, and a lock nut 120. By adjusting the screws 119 a very delicate adjustment can be made of the inking roll 112 to and from the fountain roll 108. I have found in practice by this adjustment, in connection with the adjustment to the plate, I can make a great saving in the quantity of ink usually employed, as I can regulate my inking mechanism so that just sufficient ink is used upon the plate relieving the wiping mechanism of wiping off a large excess of ink with its consequent waste; I also mount upon the inking roll frames 115 an arm 121 to co'o'perate with the screw 122 which is screw threaded through the arm and bears upon the fountain bracket 106. Upon the same bracket I preferably provide yokes 123 having screws 124 to cooperate with the end of the arms 121. I am by this mechanism enabled not This,

only to obtain a very fine adjustment of the inking roll 112 toand from the fountain roll, but I can swing up the entire inking roll frame and inking roll to examine the mechanism or clean it without affecting the adjustment of the inking and fountain rolls; and I can independently adjust the inking roll to and from the plate to be inked without affecting the adjustment between the inking roll and the fountain roll. The yokes 123 and adjusting screws 124 serve to hold the inking mechanism in any adjusted position with relation to the plate to 'be inked.

The wiping mechanism is of any approved construction andcontains the reel 125 of wiping fabric, wound up on the re-winding roll 126 after passing beneath the platen 127 in any suitable manner, the entire wiping mechanism being given a rotary movement-by the eccentric head 128 on the vertical shaft 129 operated in a manner well known in this art. The feed of the wiping mechanism can be operated by a sprocket chain 130 passing over the power operated sprocket 131 and over the sprocket 132. While I preferably use the Wiping mechanism illustrated, any suitable rotary wiping mechanism may be used, the same forming no part of my present invention.

Having thus described this invention in connection with the several illustrative embodiments thereof to the details of which I do not desire to be limited, what is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

- 1. In a printing press the combination of a track, a form bed, 1 an impression roll,

means to normally move the form bed on usually of burlap, and is the track, and yielding controlling means 2. In a printing press the combination of a \track, a form bed, an impression roll,

means to normally move the form bed on the "\track and friction controlled means adapted to slightly accelerate the movement of the form bed while, passing beneath the impression roll.

3. In a printing press the combination of a track, a form bed, an impression roll, flexible means to normally move the form bed, and yielding means to slightly accelerate the movement of the form bed while passing beneath the impression roll.

4. In a printing press the combination of a track, a form bed, an impression roll, flexible means to normally move the form bed, one or more rollers to cooperate with the form bed while it is passing under the impression roll, and yielding means adapted to drive the roll or rollers at a slightly greater speed than the normal travel of the form bed.

5. In a printing press the combination of" a track, a form bed adapted to travel on the track, and provided with means to cooperate with a chain, a chain to normally move the form bed on the track, an impression roll,

means to accelerate the travel of the form bed while passing under the impression roll, and means to permit such acceleration independent of the chain. 1-

OI-IARLES A. STURTEVANT. Witnesses:

ALAN M. JOHNSON, Rosn MnNK. 

